Matthew Perry

One of the best-loved stars of one of the most popular television sitcoms in history, Matthew Perry would forever be associated with his character Chandler Bing from the ensemble comedy "Friends" (199...
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Actor Matthew Perry almost missed out on his big break in Friends, because he was already committed to starring in a futuristic airport comedy about baggage handlers when casting bosses began the search for Chandler Bing. Perry reveals he was on the verge of bankruptcy and desperate for any acting gig back in 1994 when he signed up for a pilot called LAX 2194, but he soon regretted the decision after picking up a script for a new show, then titled Friends Like Us.
He explains, "I called my agent, I said, 'You gotta get me any job, any job you can.' This happened to be the year that Friends was shot. I was off the market because I had taken a job on a pilot called LAX 2194, that was about baggage handlers at the L.A. airport in the year 2194. I was wearing a futuristic shirt and little people played the aliens, in which I had to sort out the aliens' luggage, and that was basically the show.
"A script came out, at the time it was called Friends Like Us, and it was hilarious and great and there was this part that was perfect for me. It was making me crazy that I couldn't (audition) because of the baggage handler show. I was losing my mind."
Luckily, executives at America's Fox network axed LAX 2194 before it became a series, and Perry was able to try out for the role of goofy Bing, which ended up turning him and the rest of the Friends' main cast into household names.
He continues, "Finally, somebody at Fox at the time said, 'We've seen this, it's the worst thing we've ever seen in our lives.' (The executive told Friends producers), 'He (Perry) is available, you can hire him for your little show called Friends Like Us,' which then become Friends."
Perry was cast in Friends alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer. The show ran for 10 years and by the time it wrapped for good in 2004, the actors were each banking $1 million (£625,000) per episode.

Actor Matthew Perry is recovering from emergency dental work as he promotes new TV remake The Odd Couple after undergoing four root canals in two days. The former Friends star reveals he recently cracked a tooth while snacking on a bowl of mixed nuts during a trip to Las Vegas and had to undergo a series of surgeries.
He says, "I was in Las Vegas and I was shooting crap (sic)... and I bit into a... peanut medley, mixed nut sort of thing, and my tooth broke at the gum line...
"I get rushed to an emergency dentist and this husband and wife team... they kept looking at my teeth X-rays and kept (shaking their heads)...
"On the first day they did one root canal, so I was in the dentist's chair for two hours and 45 minutes, and on the next day, they did three and I was in the dentists' chair for four hours."

"It was a fascinating trip because no one... recognised me... Friends is all over the place and usually I get recognised, and I kind of looked at it like a nice break... No one was staring at me or asking for my picture or anything, and it was really great, until I wanted something... As soon as I wanted something, I realised that fame is kind of great." Friends star Matthew Perry has mixed feelings about his anonymity during a recent trip to Hong Kong.

In your twenties, you're supposed to experience new and fun things, travel the world, have the time of your life, and then settle down and "become a grown up" but that's not exactly what happens. You learn a lot in your twenties.
1. It's perfectly okay to not have your shit together. That's what Pinterest is for:
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2. There is nothing wrong with how often you watch TV:
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3. You start to see a pattern of who makes your life better:
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4. You have to learn how to balance patience and curiosity:
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5. You finally start growing up and have the answer the tough questions your parents used to:
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6. In your twenties, you realize you are way too young to ever say "no" to pizza:
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7. But, on the other hand, it's never to early to start thinking about your diet. Especially if you want to live to be 90:
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8. You're going to date bad people, but you need to realize why they're bad for you:
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9. Dance as often as possible:
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Even if you're really bad at it.
10. Feeling sorry for yourself is actually very self destructive:
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11. You learn that you want to try to make up for the naps you refused as a child:
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12. You can't always do things for other people:
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13. There is nothing a good bottle of wine can't handle:
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Emphasis on good, not the $8 dollar stuff you used to buy in college.
14. You're still allowed to come up with terrible, but hilarious ideas:
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15. Always value your sleep:
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You're not getting as much as you did in college, but it's more than you will get when you start having children.
16. It's okay to agree with Taylor Swift (and Sheldon Cooper) about haters:
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And this will always remain okay, no matter what your age.
17. This is the time you truly learn who your friends are:
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18. But that also means, you have the best friends who care about you and will be with you for the rest of your life:
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Even when you move, or they move, they'll only be a phone call away.
19. Some days this is how you'll feel about love:
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But eventually you'll have this moment:
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20. In your twenties, you learn a lot of things, but the most important is finding out how to do what makes you happy:
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What important lessons did you learn in your twenties? Tweet us your answers!
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Filmmaker Garry Marshall is returning to classic TV franchise The Odd Couple to help oversee an upcoming remake starring Matthew Perry. The Hollywood veteran was handed the task of adapting Neil Simon's Broadway play for TV back in the 1970s and turned it into a hit series, starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall.
He has since been recruited by CBS network boss Les Moonves to serve as a consultant to executive producer Bob Daily on The Odd Couple revival, and Marshall couldn't be happier to return to his TV roots.
The 80 year old tells the Associated Press, "It was the first show that I ever did that was a hit. It kind of made my career."
Marshall's support isn't lost on Perry, who will portray the character Oscar Madison, opposite Thomas Lennon as his college pal Felix Unger.
The former Friends star says, "Just to have Garry's endorsement alone was huge."
The Odd Couple follows the lives of two drastically different college friends who move in together after their marriages end.
Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau previously portrayed the characters in a 1968 film and 1998 sequel, while Jack Klugman and Tony Randall teamed up for Marshall's spin-off TV series, which ran from 1970 to 1975.
The Odd Couple reboot premieres in the U.S. next month (Feb15).

Rocker John Mayer has treated himself to a luxury, top-of-the-range motor home as he prepares to embark on a new tour in 2015. The Daughters hitmaker showed off his new Ford EarthRoamer purchase on Instagram.com on Monday (29Dec14), revealing he has been waiting to get his hands on the keys to his new recreational vehicle for the past year.
Alongside a photo of his new home-away-from-home, he writes, "I am a proud owner of this most formidable go-anywhere, live-anywhere vehicle.
"One year and many meetings in the making, she's all mine. Completely hand built in Colorado by extremely talented and innovative men and women. Who knows where I'll end up next."
Mayer, who has been single since splitting from on/off girlfriend Katy Perry earlier this year (14), isn't the only celebrity to own a luxury RV - actors Matthew McConaughey and Ian Somerhalder are both big fans of hitting the road in their mobile dream homes.

Have you ever been a particular mood that you can watch only one movie to relieve it? We've certainly been there.
1. When you feel like your life is just really tough:
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Watch: The Hunger Games. Feeling better about your life yet?
2. When you really wish you had a long-lost twin:
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Watch: The Parent Trap (1998).
3. If you really feel like you need some time to think:
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Watch: Atonement. How did that extra time work for you?
4. When you're in love with someone and secretly plan a life together:
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Watch: While You Were Sleeping. Maybe you embellished your life with them while they're in a coma, but we wont judge.
5. When you wish wish you were an elf but you're just a human:
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Watch: Elf. You cotton-headed-ninny-muggins you!
6. When you really just wish you were a human, but your dad (the King) says no:
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Watch: The Little Mermaid. But you're not going to listen to him, are you?
7. When you wish you could marry a rich man, but he thinks you're rich too (and you're really not):
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Watch: Maid In Manhattan. Bonus points if you have an adorable child.
8. Or, alternatively you want to marry a guy but you're his wedding planner:
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Watch: The Wedding Planner.
9. If you ever get the strong urge to move to Washington:
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Watch: Twilight. Don't do it. Vampires.
10. When you think your life turned out terribly and accidentally travel back in time:
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Watch: 17 Again. But, in what world does Zac Efron turn into Matthew Perry? Yikes.
11. When you're trying to prove to someone you're able to handle big responsibilities:
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Watch: Big Daddy. Kids aren't that hard, right?
12. When you wonder what it would be like to have fulfilled your childhood dream of hanging out with animals:
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Watch: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. A grown up that saves animals? All our childhood dreams come true!
13. If you ever feel like your family is so crazy and no one understands you:
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Watch: August Osage County. Your family is probably pretty normal, now that you think about it.
14. When you're curious about what your toys do when you're not home:
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Watch: Toy Story. Do they just lay there all day or...?
15. When you messed up at your job and are inches from being fired, so you decide you need to pull a huge stunt to save yourself:
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Watch: White Chicks. Cause what says "I want to keep my job" better than dressing up as two spoiled white girls?
16. When you really feel like you just need some time to yourself:
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Watch: I Am Legend. Missing your "crazy" family yet?
17. When all of your friends are getting engaged this Christmas:
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Watch: 27 Dresses. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
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The exciting news was recently released that the entire series of Friends is coming to Netflix! With 10 seasons of pure comedy genius and heartwarming friendships, it's hard to decide what we're looking forward to most. I think it's safe to assume that Ross' love for Rachel, Joey's idiocracy and once-fat Monica are all things we can't wait to see again, but, for us, there is something that trumps it all. Chandler Bing's countless side comments, silly slogans and scewed wisdom that once had us falling off our seats with laughter will be back to entertain us yet again.
1. On knowing himself:
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2. On slogans for everyday items:
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3. On hunting gear:
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4. On the truth about eating:
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5. On PDA:
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6. On kissing:
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7. On being the funny one:
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8. On Christmas surprises:
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9. On solving problems:
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10. On lasting love:
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11. On his relationship status:
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12. On childhood cartoons:
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13. On sophistication:
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14. On being ignored:
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15. On being ignored (again):
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16. On weekend exercising:
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17. On what to do with balloons:
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18. On synonyms:
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19. On making conversation:
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20. On sharing:
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21. On Joey's perseverance:
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22. When words aren't enough:
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Matthew Perry is set to reunite with his former co-star and real-life girlfriend Lauren Graham onscreen after the actress was cast as his ex-wife on new TV sitcom Odd Couple. The Friends star dated Graham back in 2002, but they proved their professionalism by appearing opposite one another in cancelled comedy series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip in 2006 and the 2012 show Go On, on which the brunette also played Perry's love interest.
The Parenthood actress will now portray Gaby, the former wife of Perry's character Oscar Madison, in the Odd Couple reboot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The upcoming TV comedy, which is due to debut next year (15), is based on Neil Simon's classic play, about two drastically different college pals who move in together after their marriages end.
Thomas Lennon will play Madison's roommate Felix Unger.
Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau previously portrayed the characters in a 1968 film and 1998 sequel, while Jack Klugman and Tony Randall teamed up for a spin-off TV series, which ran from 1970 to 1975.
Ron Glass and Demond Wilson also appeared as Ungar and Madison in a African-American themed version of The Odd Couple in the early 1980s.

Made TV directorial debut with an episode of "Scrubs" (NBC); also acted in the episode with his real-life father, John Bennett Perry

Cast in the starring role of a sports-arena manager in ABC's "Mr. Sunshine"

Cast in two episodes of "Growing Pains" (ABC) as Carol's boyfriend who dies in a drunk driving accident

Co-starred with Hank Azaria and Minnie Driver in a 13-week run of David Mamet's "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" in London

Played the boyfriend of Tony Danza's daughter in the film, "She's Out Of Control"

TV-movie debut, "Dance 'Til Dawn" (NBC)

Returned to NBC to star as writer, Matt Albie in Aaron Sorkin's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"

Starred in the short-lived ABC sitcom, "Home Free"

Played Ron Clark, a small town teacher who relocates to the toughest class in the country in the TNT movie, "The Ron Clark Story"; earned Golden Globe, SAG and Emmy nominations for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Movie

Joined Elizabeth Hurley for the comedy, "Serving Sara"

Cast on the CBS sitcom "Sydney" as the younger brother of Valerie Bertinelli's title character

Appeared as attorney Todd Merrick in two episodes of "Ally McBeal" (FOX)

Played the adult Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron played the younger version) in the comedy, "17 Again"

Played a neurotic dentist who befriends a hitman (Bruce Willis) in "The Whole Nine Yards"

Re-teamed with Bruce Willis for the sequel, "The Whole Ten Yards"

Co-starred with Neve Campbell and Dylan McDermott in the romantic comedy, "Three to Tango"

While still in high school, moved to Los Angeles to live with his father and pursue acting

Appeared on episodes of "Silver Spoons" (NBC) and "Charles in Charge" (CBS)

Became a top-ranked junior tennis player in Ottawa, Ontario

Played the slightly neurotic Chandler Bing on NBC's ensemble comedy series, "Friends"; nominated for an Emmy Award in 2002

Debut as a series regular on "Second Chance" (FOX); format changed after 13 episodes and re-named "Boys Will Be Boys"

First leading role in a feature, opposite Salma Hayek, in "Fools Rush In"; his on-screen father was played by his real-life father

Feature debut, "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon" (film was shot in 1986)

Summary

One of the best-loved stars of one of the most popular television sitcoms in history, Matthew Perry would forever be associated with his character Chandler Bing from the ensemble comedy "Friends" (1994-2004). This master of double-takes and sardonic wit enjoyed a coveted spot on NBC's Thursday night lineup prior to defying youth and remaining forever "twenty-something" in endless reruns around the world. While Perry maintained a huge fan following, his ensuing movie career proved hit-or-miss, with his biggest successes coming in the form of broad comedies "The Whole Nine Yards" (2000) and "17 Again" (2009). When given the opportunity to showcase some versatility post-"Friends," Perry fared well with a guest stint on "The West Wing" (NBC, 1999-2006) which inevitably led to a lead role in the short-lived series "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (NBC, 2006-07) - both of which showcased his considerable dramatic chops. However, due in large part to creating one of the most iconic characters in sitcom history, audiences were, not surprisingly, most responsive when he stuck close to the wisecracking persona that earned him his initial fame.

Born Jan. 4, 1941; divorced Perry's mother before his first birthday; appeared in the films "Lipstick" (1976) and "Farewell to the King" (1989); also appeared as the sailor in commercials for Old Spice; Played Perry's onscreen father in "Fools Rush In" (1997)

Education

Name

Buckley School

Lisgar Collegiate Institute

LA Connection Comedy Theater

Rockcliffe Park Public School

Ashbury College

Notes

"Well, I was lucky enough to be involved in about 19 failures at an early age so I'm realistic about the success that I'm having and how quickly it can go away. What's important is to be smart about it." - Perry to Empire magazine, November 1997

In June 1997, Perry was treated at Hazelden Foundation of Minnesota for an addiction to Vicodin.

In 2000, shortly after being released from the hospital (where he had been treated for a stomach ailment), Perry was involved in a car accident when he drove his Porsche into the porch of a home in the Hollywood Hills. According to the actor, the accident occurred when he swerved to avoid collision with with another car.

In February 2001, Perry again checked into a drug and alcohol treatment center.

"I've chosen not to be married and not have children yet because I still think there's a little bit of selfishness that I'm trying to break down on a daily basis. When I have a child, I want to be ready for that shift - though I feel I'm closer and closer to being ready to be that." - Perry quoted to Movieline's Hollywood Life magazine, March/April 2004

"I was 24 when I got on the show. I'll be 34 when it's over, and those are really important years in somebody's life. So to do it all in public was difficult. At first you have the wave of 'I'm famous, and this is exactly what I've wanted my whole life.' But then you go through the whole recluse stage where you think, 'I wish everybody would stop staring at me.' And then you eventually, hopefully, get through all that. You find things in your life that are grounding, like your family and good friends." - Perry quoted in People magazine, April 19, 2004

In May 2011, Perry returned to rehab in what was termed a "proactive" move, and released the statement: "I'm making plans to go away for a month to focus on my sobriety and to continue my life in recovery. Please enjoy making fun of me on the World Wide Web."